Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Coming to you from my beloved iPhone since the laptop is packed up for our trip. We are headed out super early in the morning, but I will be getting up even earlier to squeeze in a run before we hit the road.

Today was my speedwork day and I needed to total 6 miles. Well it has been raining here all day, so I was confined back to the treadmill to get my intervals in.
I had planned to do 4x400, 3x800, 1600 with 400 RI in between, would give some good pushes and 6 miles.

I started out a little crazy and went too fast on the first 400, but the next 3 felt good. After I started on the first 800 I just didn't have any endurance in me, I wish I had started with the 800s. I almost tossed my lunch twice, I guess I went too soon after lunch, normally I have a stomach of steel, not today.

I ended up doing 8x400s and hit my paces on 7/8, I dropped the mile at the end and called this run at 5 miles. I just wasn't feeling anymore time on the treadmill, and I know it will make tomorrow's run better I have no issues, I know I worked as hard as I could today.

Hoping for a peaceful easy 6 miles long before the sun comes up, praying our non-stop rain will go away so I am not stuck back inside.

Happy hump day! I am blogging from the iPhone tonight so no pics and this will be a short monthly recap.

Total miles- 121

A tad less than June but I am really pleased considering I had 2 full cut back weeks.
I got in 2 long runs of 12 miles and kept the rest moderate. I did manage to set a new 5k PR this month which I am hoping to destroy here in another few days.

The end of June brought the start of marathon training which has been super fun so far. I have been very pleased with my effort overall, I know given time and some cooler weather I will have some awesome races this fall!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

I have no ten things to discuss today, but there is one topic that has been on my mind, so I figure I will bore you to death with that :)

Running Update:
5:30am- 82* felt like 90* with 84% humidity

I had 5 miles easy on board for today, and I was just not feeling it this morning. It was sticky out, my left hip felt wierd, and to be honest I just can't get myself excited for easy whatever runs, I like having a plan and paces to hit, when I have no mental plan I find it harder to get myself pumped up.

I made myself follow the 10 minute rule, if I still felt blah after 10 minutes I could stop and resume later, but once I hit the one mile mark I told myself I needed to go another mile and then if I really wanted to turn around and cap it 4 miles I could, but once I hit mile 2 it was only 1/2 mile more until I could turn around, I can do anything for a 1/2 mile. So I did manage to get in the full 5 miles, I just had to play some serious mind games with myself.

I know that building my mental toughness and mind game abilities are equally as important to training as the mileage build-up. I feel like that is going to be one of my big focuses on my 'easy runs' is to try out new mental tactics to keep it interesting because just running 7 miles with no pace intentions might get boring.

What are some of your favorite mental tactics? I am a big fan of breaking down the run into teeny tiny pieces, but what else is out there that might be fun?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Happy Monday all! It's back to the swing of these, and I have only 3 days at home this week to get everything done before we head out. I have lots of updates to share with you, hopefully I can get up to date.

SHOES: So after wearing my old Kayanos for my long run on Saturday, I was a little nervous to pull the new ones out again today. I am super happy to report that I did not feel any rubbing during my run this morning, and had no new blisters when I took them off. The spot where they had rubbed last week was a little pink, but I can deal with that. Considering my old ones are at 500 miles I feel a little better now going to the new ones full time.

CHAFFING: You may have noticed a brief mention on Saturday of how my camelbak had rubbed a small spot on my neckline- well a few hours/days and lots of pain later, I have come to realize that it did some serious damage.

As you can see I will not be using that camelbak on runs anymore, just bike rides, and the other one will be used solely for running. It has been really difficult finding things to wear the last few days. Racer back bras and tops are really the only thing that don't hurt it, but I only have so much, I really hope that these marks don’t leave nasty permanent scars.

RUNNING: The start of week 2 had a tempo on deck. My schedule was a little weird today so the only time I had to run was mid-day and there was no way I was running at noon in the 95+ degree weather, so I was banished to the treadmill. When this training cycle started I told myself I needed to really focus on doing all my runs outside, but with the heat wave from hell I know there might be a day or two when I get stuck like today, so I have devised a plan to keep it as authentic as possible.
- Change the speed every lap or 1/4 mile
- jack up the incline

So today I had a 6 mile tempo (2 easy, 2 @8:35, 2 easy). So for all easy miles I set the incline at 2.0 and put it at 1.5 for the quicker miles, after all I’m not superman.

6 miles-54:49 - 9:34,9:29,8:27,8:25,9:26,9:28

I was pleased with this run, the inclines made it challenging, and the constantly changing pace helped it fly by. I was really shooting to make sure my 2 fast miles were under 8:30 instead of 8:35 since I was on the treadmill and there was no reason I couldn’t hit that. The quicker miles felt good, the hardest part was probably the last 2 easy miles because I was ready to be done, and I was hating the 2% incline at that point, but the extra incline definitely torched some serious calories. It got me thinking that if nothing else, all this speed-work and tempos should help me really improve my 5k and 10k times.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Hopefully everyone had a great weekend, it was pretty fantastic up here.

After my run yesterday morning, John and I went to run some errands, we stopped by the Riverside Arts Market to check it out. It was nice to see, there was some fun stuff, but it was hot and we weren't really in the market for anything so we then headed to Sports Authority (heaven) for me to get my birthday present to myself!

I have always done this, at least since I was about 14 or so, but I get myself a birthday present. Being the clothes horse that I am it usually was a new outfit or pair of shoes, but yesterday I went to check an item off my running wish list...

I knew these shorts would be coming home with me at some point over the next few weeks, but after my sweat-soaked shorts were already dripping by mile 7 during my long run yesterday, I couldn’t wait any longer, these are my solution to long sweaty runs. Since we are headed out of town on Wednesday, I went ahead and bought my gift this weekend so I can enjoy it while on vacation!

Yesterday was also my friend Crystal’s birthday, so last night John and I headed over to their house for a little get together

Sadly I did not take any pictures of the shenanigans that went on last night, but here is a good picture of both of us from Crystal’s Bachelorette weekend. This is my favorite picture of the 2 of us, and the age of it clearly demonstrates that we need to take some new ones. Since I had to search all my old photo albums I will give you a few more of all the ladies in attendance last night.

I had such a great time with everyone last night, especially the birthday girl, I don’t get to see her nearly enough. We had many rounds of margaritas and some cookie cake. After hours of chatting, I looked down to notice that it was 1am… uhhh I’d been up since 4! The night went by so quickly, and never once did I feel tired, but as soon as saw how late (early?) it was I was exhausted.

By the time I made it home, and into bed it was very close to 2am, and as much as I tried I could only sleep until 8 today. As you can imagine, most of today was spent being lazy, and I will be getting in bed very early. I had hoped to go for a long bike ride this morning but it was already too hot by the time I dragged my butt out of bed.

John and I did have a nice mid-afternoon date. We had lunch out, went to see Knight and Day (very good, worth the $7 to see it in theaters) and then we hit up Happy Cup the newest frozen yogurt haven in town. Happy cup has taken the lead as my new favorite. They had great flavors and plenty of room to navigate and sample.

Ok, it’s off to bed for this girl, I am hoping to be sound asleep by 9pm, because I am 105 and nights until 2am kill me.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Happy Weekend everyone! Today was my first long run of marathon training, and as the title suggests it was pretty unimpressive.

My alarm went off at 4am, and my first clue should have been that I was not wanting to get out of bed. I did get up, eat, get ready and headed out just before 5am. In the future the alarm will probably be set for 3am and starting at 4am. It was 80* with 82% humidy at 4/5am, and to think, it's still only June. I think I will be running at midnight come August.

I was on my own this morning which was fine, I figure I am going to be running this marathon all by my lonesome, and while there will be some crowd support, it will be nothing like in the major marathons so I might as well just get comfortable with plodding along alone.

The first 4 miles my intention was to go sans-ipod, at least until the sun started to emerge some, especially in the first 2 miles, it is not the safest feeling place. I actually talked to myself for the first mile and a half in case there were any attackers waiting for me in the bushes, then maybe they wouldn't think I was alone. I just laughed at myself for actually admitting this.

I had planned to do the first 2-3 miles slow and easy, use the next three to get comfortable and do the last 6 at goal marathon pace- well at about 2.5 I realized that just wasn't going to happen today, and I told myself at least the last 3 had to be at gmp. I felt so weak during the first half of my run, I was at a slow comfortable pace, but my legs just weren't in it enough to pick it up, I felt really discouraged that my body felt so weak. Why was I not able to pick it up, the pace never felt hard, I just never felt energized enough to push it much harder, normally I am all about negative splits.

Well I ran with no music and no breaks until mile 7 where I had to duck into the only clean gas station to use their bathroom super quickly, and took 2 shot blocks as I got back to it. I then did the last 5, no breaks. In the last 5 the sun was starting to come up, and I put my ipod in. I don't know if it was the pit-stop, the music, or the fact that all I had to do was get home, but I was suddenly energized. While slower than I would have still liked, the last 5 miles felt natural, comfortable, and I was focused. My body was responding to me when I wanted to pick up the pace, and I was able to get in the last 4 miles at goal marathon pace or better, and one other one in the middle for a total of miles at gmp.

I was pretty unimpressed with this run, I had been having an awesome first week, hitting all my times and feeling good, and while today wasn't totally abysmal, it certainly was a reality check that I am not as fast as I would like to think I am, and that training to run a marathon with a time goal is not going to be easy. I know I can't be expect to hit my goal pace every mile of every run, and I need to just accept that, even though normally a 9:30-9:40 pace is easy, on 10+ mile runs it is not as easy as with 4 and 5 miles. None of my times felt hard to hit, slow miles fast miles, they all felt comfortable, I just wish I had it in me to push harder, because I have done several 12 miles runs quicker than this.

When I got home, the humidity had long since soaked through my clothes and I got immediately into the shower. The hot water alerted me to some very wierd chafing that took place today. I wore a different top that usual, one with a strange cut back, and I used a different camelbak today because I was alone and it is neon yellow and makes me super visable in the dark. Well the camelbak hit where my shirt wasn't and caused a small little line of chaffing on my neck- not fun at all!

I have never had issues with my camelbak before, and I know it was because of the wierd cut shirt. next week I will resume a normal racerback top and all will be well. The shirt can be changed, the camelbak cannot, not sure I could do this weather without it.

Sorry for such a Negative Nancy post, but that is how it went down this morning, and at the end of all this I want to be able to look back on it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

So I am pretty sure that the title gives it away, but today's run is something I would never like to experience ever again!

Last night I went to bed planning to get up and be out the door for an short and easy 4 miles by 5:45am. John has gotten back into running and planned to do 2-3 miles too. Well this morning I was stiff and John was tired and he made the suggestion to run after work. We always used to run in the evenings and it was nice, so I figured why not, and then I could go back to sleep, AND still have someone to run with tonight.

The most important rule of this story is to never listen to your boyfriend! John got home from work tonight and we were out the door right at 6:20pm, to give you an idea of how this story ends, I will break it down:

Obviously the sun and the heat nearly killed me, everything felt pretty normal running wise, but the heat was brutal and it sent my heart rate sky high. I finished feeling shakey and sick despite the fact that I brought a water bottle with me. Despite the Hades like conditions, I actually managed a quality run, and one of the last 4 miles runs to be seen for quite some time.

As soon as we stopped, John and I vowed to Never Ever do that again. All runs will be done in the morning, preferably in the dark, or at the gym until the weather starts to return to something civilized. I swore to myself somewhere during mile 3 that I would never again complain about the running in the cold during the winter, in fact I was actually begging to bring it back ASAP.

Shoe Update: The tape on the shoe did not help, and the blister cover on my foot seemed to make it worse. I did try tying my shoes tighter today since loose and sliding shoes are often the cause of blisters, no luck, still a big blister. The old shoes will be worn this weekend until I can get these new ones under control. I read today that Aron is having pretty much the same problem with the same shoes, good to know I'm not alone.

I also read online today that runners should be getting an extra minute of sleep per night every mile I run each week- so 32 mpw this week is an extra 30 minutes per night, better get to bed!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Happy Wednesday Y'all! It's Top Chef night in this household, but this morning was day 1 out at the track.
I am seriously needing to join JTC the local running club, but I just haven't gotten around to it, part of me is kind of enjoying doing my own thing, so not like me.

This morning I had some ambitious plans for a ladder track workout this morning - 400,800,1200,800,400,1600. With 400 RI between each and 2 minute rest before the 1600.

5 miles total with warm-up and RI, plus about .3 for a cool down.
I was quite pleased with that last mile, and the 1200 looking back on it.
The 400s were cake, the 800s were killer, per usual.

I really wish that I could just do 400s every week, but I know that will not put me where I want/need to be.

Shoe Update: So the past 2 days of slight rubbing turned into an actual blister somewhere during my last 2 miles today. My first few miles felt great, I was loving my shoes. They felt light, supportive, everything they should be, and then as soon as I was done, I knew there was a blister waiting for me.
I opted to wear my last pair while walking the dog this afternoon, felt great, so when I got back to the house I disected the new pair, pulled out the laces, inserts, everything. The problem...a rough edge on the shoes stitching where the insert hits the side of the shoe. I put a little fabric tape on both parts- and walked around for a bit, seems to have fixed most of the issue, but we will see better tomorrow. If they aren't 100% better tomorrow I will wear my old shoes for my long run this weekend as not to get any debilitating blisters.

This weekend I am ready for my first long run, hoping to get in 12 miles at or very close to my goal marathon pace, and then a looong bike ride planned for Sunday!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

It's Tuesday again, I have been super busy today, so here is a run-down.

1. I got up early again today for an easy no pressure 6 mile run, I thought I was being smart by starting before the sun, I still did not start early enough...

2. Run- 6 miles, 58 minutes. 5:45am, 78 degrees, 94% humidity. Yuck!!! The weather bit me in the butt the last 2 miles and totally killed my pace, but it still puts me at an average 9:40 pace.

3. The cooler temps were great during the first 2 miles, I was at a good pace and feeling good, at that point the humidity drowned me like the swimming pool that it is, and I was pretty pathetic for the remainder of the run. The sun was fully up by mile 4, and while it was a little overcast, it left me wishing I had started earlier.

4. I wore my new shoes for the second time today...not loving them yet. These new ones are Asics GT-2150 which is a slightly more neutral shoe than my previous Asics Gel Kayanos that I just retired.

5. The new shoes are rubbing inside of my right arch, and giving it an ever so slight blister. Left foot feels great, and they actually feel great to run it, so I think it just might be a new fit that will take a few runs to break in. I remember having a similar feeling when I bought the Kayanos, but it never left a mark, and it went away within probably 2-3 runs. I am giving it until the end of the week, and if they still rub, they are going back.

6. Tomorrow is my first marathon training track session, I am actually a little nervous, I have some pretty ambitious times to hit. Oh well, I'm still excited!

7. I spent a better part of my afternoon calling around to several differnet kennels in the area for Peachie to visit next week, I hate the idea of boarding her, it makes me want to cry:(

8. Peachie has to go to the doggie hotel because John and I are going on Vacation next week, back to the beach for 6 days to see Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney in a free Beach Concert and for the Fourth of July, my favorite holiday!

9. I have also decided to run the Make-a-Wish 5k at the Wharf on July 4th for my July race. I can't seem to travel without doing a race.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Happy Monday All! I made it home last night, and my puppy was certainly happy to see me!

So I am sure as you have seen me mention a billion times, my marathon training cycle starts today. I spent a pretty good amount of time formulating a training plan to fit my needs and schedule. This plan was based loosely of the plan that Smart Coach spit out for me, but I am pretty comfortable with making my own.

Unlike the training plan I made for my spring half marathon, this plan has specifically schedule tempo and track days in addition to all my other runs. I actually made 2 sheets to this plan, 1 that displays the general mileage and a detailed break down of each run with paces- yes I realize that this makes me neurotic, I don’t even try to hide it anymore.

Today was another thing I had been waiting for, it meant it was finally time to open up this box…

I was excited to get into my new shoes, they are a little bit more neutral than my last pair which I think will be good since my gait has changed some, more on this later.

There is something I think about a new training cycle that makes you wake up with a fervor to go out and run, and not just run, but kill it.

For some reason I still have a lingering cough from last week, so I knew since it was a deep in my chest cough I needed to keep myself in check and not get too crazy. I also did not get a ton of sleep during my relaxing vacation, so I knew today would be about hitting what I needed to and capping it there.

I had a 5 miles progression run planned for today and it was intended to look like this

5 miles- 9:30,9:15,9:00,8:45,8:35

I basically started myself at goal marathon pace and finished at my recent 5k race pace, it seemed like a good build-up.

Each miles was at least a few seconds better than my intended pace, but this run was tough. My cough was definitely still present and it kept messing me up because my breathing pattern would get interrupted and made it feel tougher than it probably should have. My legs faired well, the step-ups for each mile I feel were challenging enough to still be effective but not too crazy. I feel like my next one I will probably drop all the paces, I think I can handle it.

It is still flaming hot here, but it rained this afternoon so hopefully that will cool it down some. Off to spend time with John and the Peach before bed. See you for Day 2!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

First I want to start off by saying Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there, especially mine, he's the best!

Saturday morning I had intentions of being out the door by 5am to get in a minimum of 10 miles. Well with the time change and 2 nights of less than 6 hours of sleep I could not muster the energy to get up until 5:45, by then the sun had fully come up, and it was already 80 degress with 89% humidity. I made an executive decision to only do 5 miles as they heat was miserable and I was sweating buckets within the first 2 miles. Not what I had hoped for, but no worries, there are plenty of double digit runs in my future.

I will be heading home later today, and getting ready to start my week next week. This long weeked came at a great time as starting Monday, I will be a slave to my training plan. Have a good Sunday!

Friday, June 18, 2010

So yesterday I headed west to the newest family vacation home on the Gulf Beaches of Alabama. Luckily the house is settled into the bay where there haven't been many effects from the oil that is creeping up, but the visual signs in the area remind you that something is off, very sad.

I actually had a great drive over yesterday by myself, and made it here about 2pm. After a few excursions and some hanging out, it was 7:30pm (8:30pm at home) and we were still a ways out from dinner, so I decided that a run was in order since the sun was already setting (an hour earlier than at home).

I did 3 easy miles in 27:47, avg. 9:15 pace.
Mile 1- 9:25

Mile 2- 9:17

Mile 3- 9:05

My legs felt great, and this run felt easy, I think the negative splits show that. My throat is still scratchy, which I felt while running, once that goes away I think it will be great! My legs feel super fresh from a reduced mileage week, so I am ready to ditch this throat thing and pick up with a great week next week.

This morning I woke up at 6 with intentions of getting in 4-5 miles as the sun would be coming up, well apparently in the central time zone the sun comes up at 5:30am, so it was in full-force by the time I was looking to head out. I said screw it and decided to sit on the porch with a book and my breakfast, I will run later.

So I have spent my morning sitting up here...

And Looking out at this...

This was exactly the change of scenery that I needed to break up a very routine past couple of weeks. Hopefully some sun exposure will be had today in addition to a short easy run and some tasty treats that are floating around the house.

I do have a long run planned for tomorrow morning, I am thinking I will have to start earlier than usual to beat the heat and sun!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

So if read lots of blogs, or I suppose watch the news, you have probably already heard about the disgusting weather we have been experiencing in the Sunshine State.

To recap, we will start on Tuesday. Yesterday I got up for a run before work and it looked like this: 81 degrees with 87% humidity at 5AM!!! That's right, all that more than an hour before the sun came up! I have cut 1 mile off of every run this week just to stay fresh and be ready to go next week, so especially considering the miserable weather, I called this run at 3 miles, I was SO over this weather!

On to today: So you know how when the weather changes from hot to cool in the fall everyone seems to get a little sick...well I seem to be having the same issue now that weather has gone from Hot to Hotter. I have had a sore throat since Sunday morning, but until today it had not phased me, I had gotten in 3 runs, but today I felt seriously under the weather.

I really felt like I should not run today, but I wanted to run so I decided climate control might be better than heading outside again in the nasty weather. Well I told myself I would run for 10 minutes and see how I felt- verdict...I felt like death! But since I was already into the 2nd mile and I cannot run random mileage I kept going until mile 2. There were several funny old guys in the ESPN room with me, howling at the World Cup game on, and they kept me alive until TM rolled over to mile 2. I really should not have gone in the first place, and certainly should not have pushed the 2nd mile, but what's done is done.

I am hoping to get my speedwork in tomorrow before heading out of town this weekend, and then 2 more quality runs and a rest day on Sunday.

Here is hoping the rain they say is coming, comes, and cools this place down some!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Happy Tuesday All, I have a fun Ten Things Tuesday for you!
So a few weeks back I did my top 10 running treasures, so today I am doing my top 10 running wants! Especially with marathon training gearing up, and my birthday… There have been a lot of things that I have my eye on, so here they are

1. Nike Pacer Running Skirt in Urgent Orange

So I have this skirt in gray now and I LOVE it, but I’m sure as you have seen this picture a few times on the blog now, you know I am dying for it in Orange, perfect for any Game-Day Races AND super easy to spot the girl running in a neon orange skirt! We saw it first at Dick’s about a month ago, but they no longer have my size:( and finding a medium anywhere online has not proven successful, but I would kill to get my hands on this skirt!

2. Race Registration

Races being the culmination of all your hard work are always worth it in my book, but can get quite pricey. This Challenge is a 3 half-marathon series comprised of the 3 large fall Half-Marathons in Jacksonville, and one I am very anxious to complete. With several races in my sight for the fall, I have found myself prioritizing my race registrations for the races where the prices go up soon, those get registered for first, even if they aren’t until next year- So if anyone is really curious as to a good Stephanie gift, All my race entry fees covered for a year (or even a season) would be great, Thanks!

3. Nike Pro Core 2.5” Compression Shorts
Umm, I need these shorts! They bring me back to my spandex wearing volleyball days, and since all my old spandex are too big to wear anymore, I am looking for a quality replacement. I have tried these on dozens of times at Sports Authority, and with a cheap price tag I am surprised I have not bought them yet. These are super comfortable, and would help with the mass amounts of sweating during long runs since I don’t have to worry about wet and loose fabric sticking to me while running.

4. Spi Belt

I have been coveting runners with Spi Belts since my Half Marathon in February. I kicked myself for not buying one of these at the expo because I really wanted to have my camera while running, but I didn’t and I will make sure I have one before the marathon. I have read nothing but great reviews on these belts that are super stretchy and hold all you junk while running so you don’t have to ;) If you want one, check it out here

5. Nike Dri-Fit Fundamental Road Race Running Shorts

If you haven’t noticed by now, I am a Nike Junkie, especially their short, that’s all I wear. This is a newer and shorter style of running shorts that I recently tried on, and I really like them. A girl from the race this past weekend had them on in the same Urgent Orange color that the above skirt is in, I figure I need the shorts that also match the skirt, the pink is pretty cute too! I think the different length and style of the shorts is cute, flattering, and again more successful with the mass sweating while running condition I have.

6. Foam Roller

I am in love with the foam roller! The only one I have access to is at the gym, but it is a pain to go up there after running outside just to stretch and roll, so I am dying to get one of my own, but have not been able to bring myself to spend $25+ on a log of foam.

7. Nike Pacer Running Top

I can’t discriminate against the Nike top, these racerbacks are nice, light, and come in lots of colors!

8. Nike Pro Core Running Capris

Even though we are experiencing a record heat wave right now, my eyes are turning towards the much anticipated cool weather, fall running. These capris are the same design and fabric as the shorts above, I have tried these on too, fit like a glove, gets me excited for the fall, that and the cooler temps!

9. Fuel!!!

Sport Beans and Vanilla Bean Flavored Gu are my favorite ways to fuel mid-run. These babies are not the cheapest sugary snacks to buy, so I would love to get or order a case of each to keep me fully stocked for this upcoming training cycle. I have heard that Running Warehouse or Amazon has pretty good prices on a full case- any advice on where to order from????

10. Skull Candy Headphones

I have not yet tried these headphones but I really want to/need to. I have serious issues with my ipod issued earbuds slipping out of my ears, especially when I get really sweaty (which is all the time). I have hear good things about these and that they stay put pretty well. I have seen them many times at TJ Maxx up near the checkout but can’t bring myself to buy them when I have perfectly capable, yet annoying, headphones at home. I would like to try these though, does anyone have any experience with them?

So there you have it, My Christmas Wish List so to speak of running items. Clothes tend to dominate here, but I find myself rebuilding my workout wardrobe again as most of last summers running clothes are now too big. Do you have any of these awesome items? Are they as worth it as I think they are???

Monday, June 14, 2010

Summer is in full swing here in North Florida. We hit 97 degrees today with a heat index making it feel like 103 + humidity all day- it was not cool!

Despite the disgusting weather I got in a quality 4 mile tempo run today. I opted to keep today's mileage low since I was running around all morning, and I didn't have a rest day yesterday.

I did 4 miles in 35:44 or 8:56 pace. The 2 'tempo' miles were done at 8:32 pace which was 3 seconds faster than my average pace during my 5k this weekend, I expect to torch that PR in my next 5k.

Tomorrow will tell for sure, but I am hoping to make a trip out to OBA this weekend for Father's Day, so here is crossing my fingers that all falls into place the way I want. I am planning to get in a little bit longer run tomorrow morning before the sun comes up, hopefully the temps will stay in the 70s-low 80 range while I'm out! See ya Tuesday!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Last night was one of the biggest races in Jacksonville, especially considering it was just a 5k. I had read great things about this race, it rounds of the 2009-2010 running season, and goes out with a big party at The Landing.

Even though we were running later than I would have liked, we still made it downtown with plenty of time to warm-up and watch the elite wave run.

The elite runners had to submit qualifying times to run in the earlier wave, men had to have proof of under 18 minutes, women under 20 minutes. The idea behind this was to give more people an opportunity to win age group awards in the general field. I had fun watching the elites run a short multi-loop course, and putting the rest of us to shame.

I did a 1 mile warm-up, right after the speedy folks started, and made it back in time to watch them finish before we had to line up.

My mom was doing this race also. We hopped into the start corral, I settled in with what looked to be 8:30 runners, and she headed back a few yards. I was already getting sweaty just waiting to start. This race wasn’t until 8pm, but it was still in the high 80s and wedged deep in the middle of almost 1500 runners I was getting none of the breeze that was coming in off the river.

The gun went off, and I took the first tenth of a mile waaay too quick, under an 8 minute pace. Luckily after that 1st tenth of a mile there was a steep hill to humble me and put me at the pace I needed to be at.

I spent most of the first mile weaving around people that started too far up and trying to figure out where I was going. We rounded two corners and all of sudden, Garmie beeped at me

Mile 1- 8:38

I was pleased with my first mile split, but I had to make sure I didn’t slip at all. At about 1.25 I went through a water station on the right hand side but noticed an abandoned but fully stocked water station on the opposite side of the street. I thought it was odd, but kept going with no thought. It wasn’t until about a minute later when I saw crazy fast people running towards me, that I realized the course was looping back on itself. By that point Garmin was reading 1.35 so I knew it wasn’t much further until the turn around point.

Well we didn’t turn around until 1.7 since the course would go back a little differently, at that point I knew I would pass my mom, so I told myself to just keep up my pace and I would be at the water station soon.
I passed my mom just before mile 2 and waved. I then immediately hit the water station and got run into by some kid who didn’t quite understand how water stations worked. I got kind of trapped so I took a cup of water and poured another over my head. The water over my head mixed with all the sweat all went into my right ear, and I spent the rest of the race trying to get it out- no such luck.

Mile 2- 8:45

The last mile went by super quickly, I give a lot of credit to the awesome playlist I had put together, and also the big downhill that came at about 2.75

Coming off the down hill I saw John up ahead, and tried to speed up, and of course wave.

That downhill at the end gave my some great momentum, and I had a great pace racing towards the finish line at the water front. The breeze felt great, and I was so excited as I knew I would beat my old PR and under 27 minute goal.

Mile 3- 8:38 I was super happy to see such a consistent split.

As you can see, I messed with my water-logged ear pretty much until the finish line, I don’t recommend dumping water on your head while wearing headphones, no matter how hot. I think you can see all the gross sweatiness, even though it was cooler than I expected it to be, it was still hot and humid.

I place 20th in my age group out of 79, and 501st finished out of 1400. I was pleased with this race, it was consistent, challenging yet manageable. I am super happy for a new PR, and even more excited to go out next month and try to beat it.

I grabbed a bottle of water and a banana once I finished, and went back out to meet John and watch my mom finish.

I also had to throw in the picture of the giant banana who ran

I don’t think I would ever be patient enough to dress up for a race.

After I grabbed a drink and watched the banana finished I ran back up the street to meet up with my mom and make sure she finished strong. I found her at the top of the hill with about .35 to go. She took advantage of the hill and finished strong.

I had a great time at this race, and am really excited to do it again next year!

This morning I squeaked in a 5 mile easy recovery run. I am excited for one last week of care-free running, I am not following any schedule this week, just going to run what I feel like, and next week the craziness starts!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

So as the title suggests, my race tonight went well, I have another PR fir the 2nd week in a row. I now have a new time to beat in my next race and some numbers to crunch for training purposes. I have neglected the blog this weekend, life got in the way. I will be back tomorrow with a race recap and weekend update!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

So I wouldn't normally take an ice bath after a 7 mile run, but I knew today would have been bad if I hadn't. I am happy to report that I woke up to fresh legs today, better than they have been all week- good to know the ice really does work.

I just did 4 easy miles this morning, I had planned to do 2 more with John tonight but we got busy, lazy and Peachie needed a walk so we did that instead.

Today I did manage to go pick up my race packet for Saturday, I am super pumped, and made a new playlist. It was amazing how few songs were needed for a 5k playlist, it felt so easy.

I have also started to think about my pacing plan for a sub-27 race, closer to 26 would be nice. I have no idea how to pace a 5k, it seems starting slow to not burn out just slows you down, but as I learned in January, starting like a bat out of he'll will usually kill me by mile 2. Should I just start at 8:20 and hold on for dear life??? For successful 5k runners, please give recommendations!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

So last week I got busy, aka lazy and didn't get up a 10 Things Tuesday post, so we are back to the weekly tradition which is great because I have quite a lot to say today!

1. Even though unplanned, I pulled a double today, getting in 6.5 total miles. I did my morning run which is what I had planned, but once home this evening, John decided he wanted to go for a short run. Since I never get to run with him anymore I put my shoes on again and went out with him.

2. So my planned AM run was 4.5 miles easy. I did 4.5 miles in 41:18 or 9:10 avg pace. My pace was varied, sometimes slower, sometimes quite a bit faster, but the pace felt great the whole time.

3. For our evening run John and I did 2 more easy miles. My legs are super tired, mostly from Sunday's weights, but 2 days of quality running contributes. We kept a slow easy pace which was perfect for John, he did great! His first run in a while and he did 2 miles in about 21 minutes without stopping!

4. I have been on a baking frenzy the last few days. It started with muffins, and then oatmeal cookies (my favorite) and then some chocolate chip cookies. There are many baked goods in my house now, and I am the only one who likes them and is here to eat them all.

5. As I mentioned earlier, I do have a 5k this weekend, after an awesome run yesterday, I am super pumped for it, and ready to see what I can do. I do have a strategy for this race, and I am really eager to see how it works out.

6. Even though I have an awesome strategy for this race, I am also in need of some serious help! The race starts at 8pm (weird, I know) but the post-race party is supposed to be awesome! I have never been in a race that didn't start pretty much at the crack of dawn, so I am a little inexperience and confused on how to approach my preperation for this- All help welcomed, I would love to hear anyone's stories from a night race

7. To ensure that I am rested and my legs are fresh I don't want to do too much on Saturday so I thought I might go see the new Sex and the City movie. I have heard mixed reviews, but I don't care I really want to see it!

8. My birthday/beach trip is coming up in 4 weeks, I am super excited for a week long vacation at our new beach house, I also have some pretty stellar runs planned for my trip as well!

9. We are down to less than 2 weeks until marathon training starts. I feel super ready, but the idea of 18 and 20 mile runs in the August heat and humidity has me terrified.

10. I am pretty sure my 400+ miles shoes were a big contributor to my calf pain this past weekend, I am debating pulling out my new shoes to avoid any unnecessary pain. Thoughts on starting a new pair of shoes the week of a race? I am a bit hesitant to do that especially since I doubt 20 miles will make that much of a difference, but my current shoes are pretty much shot.

Sunday evening I headed up to the gym for a weights session which has left me moderately sore. I spent more time watching Scrubs and not cleaning the house, but such is life.

Monday morning I knew I had a busy day ahead so I figured I would get in an afternoon workout. Well a super crazy day later I finally made it to the gum, it was waaaay too hot at this point to run outside, so I had a sort of tempo/ race simulation planned today. I have a 5k on Saturday and kind of have forgotten how to run fast. So I figured I would do a moderate 2 mile warm-up and then 3 miles a little slower than 5k pace.

I had a lot on my mind yesterday, and this run just cane so easy, it felt amazing! The warm-up was comfortable and the 3 near race pace were even easier, I love when everything just clicks.

Another fun detail that made this run even better was the fact that this put me over 500 miles for the year. My goal was to do 1,000+ miles in 2010 and I am now half way there with the heaviest parts of my mileage still ahead of me! Marathon training starts in 2 weeks, so excited!!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Happy Sunday to all and a very Happy Birthday to Jaime who is running the San Diego Marathon right now!
I am sitting here at my computer constantly refreshing to get her updates on the course. There have been a few errors (they inverted the 12k and 10k splits so it was waaay wierd), but Penny and I seem to be getting on top of it and so far she is on pace!

Rather than just sit here watching the live feed of the finish line and bit my nails, I figured I would regale you all with the details of yesterdays long run. I had 12 miles planned since I have a race next weekend and will not be getting in any real distance then. John and I headed out to our favorite trail early yesterday morning to start just as the sun was coming up. It rained most of the night Friday so I knew it would be humid.

I was on my own today, John was planning to do the full trail out and back to hit 30 miles for a bike ride. I told myself I would take it easy, made sure I finished and try not to pass out from heat or dehydration. Days like that make me worship my Camelbak, I would not have finished without it.

I did 12 miles in about 1:55, which is by far the slowest 12 miles I have run, but I don't even feel bad about it.

So at the start of the run, my calves were immediately sore/tight/screaming, this was not a good sign. I had to stop 3 times before mile 5 to stretch them and once to fix my right shoe/sock as it was moving and I could feel a blister coming if I did not correct it. Despite the few stops in the first 6 miles I was pretty close to still being on pace, I always start out a bit slower until I get warmed up, so I figured as usually my 2nd half would be quicker- not so much.

As I turned around at the 6 mile mark, the heat and sweat really set in. My clothes were already fully soaked with sweat, and I was even able to ring out my short- gross! Stopping to refil my camelbak at about 6.5 was pure torture, I didn't realize how much the teeny breeze you get from moving was helping me, because the second I stopped running I could not control the sweating, and there was no dry place to wipe the sweat off, so I just had to keep going. Around this time I could feel mosquitos stuck to me, and I was bobbing and weaving for the next mile or so. I was happy to be on my way back, but was still pretty dehydrated.

John caught up to me with about 4 miles to go, and I made him promise me a gatorade and chocolate milk once we were done! Even though I took a gu at mile 6, I could feel my energy level dwindling pretty quickly. The last 2.5 miles were full of mind games. There were lots of spots here we had to cross the road which at least held my attention better than countless miles of never-ending trail. I kept counting down how many laps around the track it would be, 10 and then I was in single digits, that helped it go quick and painlessly. That and the fact that I saw a bum wandering with about a mile to go and I was afraid if I was running too slow he would kindnap me so I actually managed to pick it up in the last mile, not because I'm cool, but because I am scared!

By the time I stopped and got to the car I was shakey, I assume because my body needed some salt from all that I had sweated out in the last 2 hours. Gatorade was had, the chocolate milk made me feel like I was going to be sick, so I didn't finish it.

Since then it has pretty much been raining non-stop this weekend, so we have been pretty lame and useless, it's kind of nice though. We also bought season 1 of scrubs on dvd that we have been watching, quite a funny show! Hope everyone had a nice weekend, see you on Monday!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

So per my blog manager this is my 200th post, I had really wanted to do something vute for #100 but by the time I thought of that I was past #100. I have loved the past 6+ months of blogging, I love that I know exactly what was going on at any given time, and all my runs are documented, Super Helpful!!!

So today I channeled Marathon Maiden and ran a double!!! I started my morning with an easy 3.5 mile run with my mom, a little under a 12 minute pace, nice and slow, but a good way to start my legs for the day.

I finished it off with another 3 miles which was a nice 3 mile progression, 3 miles 27 minutes, nice and comfortable but still challenged me as it was...progressive!

6.5 miles for the day, and make that 22 miles on the week. I am creeping up on my T-Day, or day 1 of marathon training and I am waaaaay more than ready. I am seriously considering uping to a 20 week training plan, not that I feel I really need it, but mentally I am ready to get going.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Busy Busy Wednesday here, I have no idea how it all went by so quickly!
I did 2 workouts today, although not quite what I had planned. I woke up this morning for my speed workout, and after seeing a comment on last nights post I decided 1200s might be fun since I NEVER do them, EVER!

Well after my 1 mile warm-up I was feeling very ADD and didn’t feel I could commit to any 1 distance, a problem I have been having recently which is weird, usually I will do anything to run 400s, but today I just couldn’t focus, so my hodge-podge looked something like this:

I managed to hit my 5 mile total in 42:35, I love how speedwork makes me feel so fast! I did another .3 miles to cool down for a total of 5.3 today. I also squeezed in a quality weights session this afternoon, I was hoping to also go to spinning, but once I got there I just wasn’t feeling it.

After dinner I decided I wanted ice cream so I headed up to the grocery store to get some. Once I walked down the Ice cream isle I noticed the Breyer’s brand was buy one get one free, so I got 2 1/2 gallons on the vanilla fudge ripple that John and I like. Well as I walking back out towards the checkout counter I also noticed Blue Bell had their Banana split ice cream on sale for $2 off. I LOVE banana Ice cream and knew I had to get that, it was what I had really wanted tonight anyways. Well long story short, I walked up to the checkout lane with 3, 1/2 gallons of ice cream. The guy who worked there asked what was with all the ice cream. I pondered the question for about 2 seconds before I told him “It’s really all your fault!” They had such good sales on normally expensive ice cream, and now we are well stocked for at least a month, or until John gets very hungry one night;) But I can imagine I looked like a fragile girl post-break up with all that ice cream- really, it was all Publix’s fault!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Despite the fact that today is Tuesday, my brain thinks it is Monday, so a Ten Things Tuesday will come on my perceived Tuesday which is tomorrow :) June is off to a nice start, I am looking forward to a busy week.

This morning I woke up very determined to do an easy 4 miles outside. My legs were so stiff and tired, my run turned out to be a true recovery run which I very rarely have. My run was pretty pitiful, I did not expect yesterday's race to affect me the way it did, I figured it would be like a normal 6 mile tempo I would do at home, but the hills seemed to have truly exhausted my legs.

4 miles- 39:00 (avg. pace 9:45)
Once I got through the 1st mile I just stopped trying to stay in a certain range, and just ran my 4 miles.

Tomorrow I have some speedwork in my plans, I need to hit 5 miles total so I am debatin 8x400 with 400RI or 3x1600, decisions decisions.

What is your favorite speed workout? Which one should I tackle tomorrow?